Shoe-polisher.



U. D. WATKINS.

SHOE POLISHER.

APPLIUATION FILED JULY 13, 1914.

1,19,,5'7. Patented Feb. 23, 1915 wi'tmuoeo mwwm mm THE NORRIS PETERS 50., PHOTO-LITHQ, WASHINGIDN, 0..

CHARLES DEVOE WATKINS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SHOE-POLISHER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 23, 1915.

Application filed July 13, 1914. Serial No. 850,704.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, CHARLES Dnvon \VAT- KIN s, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in hee-Polishers, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to improvements in shoe polishers, and an object thereof is the provision of a polisher which comprises a plate carrying shoe engaging cloths, the cloths when worn being readily removable from the plate.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a polisher comprising a flexible plate having laminated strips of shoe engaging cloth engaged thereagainst, clamps being provided at the ends of the plate to detachably secure the strips to the plate.

A still further object of this invention is the provision of a polisher which comprises a flexible plate having clamps at its end to secure strips of cloth thereto, the clamps having handles pivotally connected thereto, and the handles having means whereby when the handles are in operative position, the clamps are tightly engaged against the strips to secure the same to the plate.

with these and other objects in view, my invention consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more fully described, claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevational view of my improved polisher; Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof; Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line l4 of Fig. 2; and Fig. 5 is an end view of the polisher.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the numeral 1 designates a supporting plate the ends of which are curved as at 2, and each of the curved ends having a pair of transversely spaced openings 3 formed therein. Secured upon the outer face of the plate by any desired adhesive substance is a soft pad 4 which is preferably constructed of felt or the like, the pad being provided with a central longitudinal thickened portion, the purpose of which will be hereinafter more fully described. Disposed through the openings 3 in the curved ends of the plate are the legs of U-shaped clamping members 5, the ends of the legs extending inwardly of the inner face of the plate, and being turned toward each other as at 6 to project through the eyes' 7 of handles 8. Each of the handles is constructed of wire bent upon itself to provide a pair of arms, the arms immediately adjacent the eyes 7 being offset toward the supporting plate as at 9. A plurality of superposed cloth strips 10 are engaged against the felt pad 4:, the opposite ends of the strips being adapted for engagement under the intermediate portions of the clamping members 5.

In the isher, when the ends of the strips 10 are engaged under the intermediate portions of the clamping members, the handles 8 are moved so that the same are disposed in substantially parallel relation with the plate 1, and it will be seen that when the handles are moved to this position, the offset portions 9 thereof are engaged against the inner face of the supporting plate to draw the clamping members against the ends of the strips through the medium of the eyes 7 of the handles which engage the inturned portions 6 of the clamps, the movement of the handles to this position also serving to draw the curved ends of the plate toward each other whereby the strips are tightened against the felt pad.

From the drawing, it will be seen that one of the handles is of less width and length than the other, so that when the handles are moved to a position parallel with the plate, the arms of the smaller handle may be sprung through the arms of the larger handle to lock the same together, thereby holding the clamping members tightly engaged against the strips to prevent accidental disengagement thereof from the polisher. It will also be seen from the accompanying drawing, that the felt pad 4: is of slightly greater length and width than the supporting plate 1, the projecting edges of the pad being curled inwardly to cover the edges of the plate, so as to protect shoes from being cut or scratched by the plate. The thickened portion of the felt pad is disposed centrally and longitudinally thereof, to bulge the strips slightly at a central portion, so that the bulged portions of the strips may freely engage the insteps or other curved portions of the shoe to polish the same uniformly, and without the necessity of engaging the edge of the polisher against the shoe. It will be seen that when the outermost strip practical use of my improved pol- 10 becomes worn, the same may be readily removed from the polisher by disengaging the interlocked handles and swinging the same upwardly from the plate, thereby relieving the pressure of the offset portions thereof from the plates, so that the clamps may be moved outwardly from engagement with the strips. It will be understood that a new strip may be substituted for each worn one or that the polisher may be used until all of the strips have been used, whereupon any desired number of new strips may be secured to the polisher in the hereinbefore described manner.

From the above description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, it will be seen that I have provided a polisher which is extremely simple in construction, whereby the same may be cheaply manufactured, the polisher being extremely eliicient and durable in use, as the supporting plate and pad may be used indefinitely, the strips of cloth being renewable with but minor cost.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I desire to claim and secure by Letters Patent is 1. A device of the class described comprising a flexible plate, clamping members carried by the ends of the plate, a shoe engaging strip engaged against the outer'face of the plate and having its ends engaged under said clamping members, and means for drawing the clamping members into clamping engagement with said strip.

2. A device of the class described comprising a flexible plate, said plate having transversely spaced openings formed therein adjacent its ends, U-shaped clamping members having their legs disposed through said openings, a shoe engaging strip engaged against the outer face of the plate and having its ends disposed under the intermediate portions of said clamping members, and means connected to the legs of said clamping members to draw the same into clamping engagement with said strip.

3. A device of the class described comprising a flexible plate having curved ends, clamping members carried by the curved ends of said plate, a shoe engaging strip engaged against the outer face of said plate and having its opposite ends engaging under said clamping members, and handles carried by the clamping members and having offset portions for engagement against the inner face of said plate whereby to draw the clamping members into clamping engagement with said strip.

4:. A device of the class described comprising a flexible plate, clamping members carried by the plate adjacent its ends, a shoe engaging strip engaged against the outer face of the plate and having its opposite ends engaged under the clamping members, substantially U-shaped handles carried by the clamping members and having offset portions for engagement against the inner face of the plate whereby to draw the clamping members into clamping engagement with the strip, one of said handles being of relatively less width and length than the other of the handles, whereby when the handles are moved to engage the offset portions against the plate, the arms of the smaller handle may be sprung through the arms of the larger handle to lock the same together.

A device of the class described comprising a flexible plate having curved ends, the curved ends of said plate having transversely spaced openings formed therein, a shoe engaging strip engaged against the outer face of said plate, U-shaped clamping members having their legs disposed through said strip and through the openings in the curved ends of the plate, the extremities of said legs being turned inwardly toward each other, and means connected to the inturned ends of the legs to draw the clamping members into clamping engagement with said strip and to draw the curved ends of said plate toward each other to tighten the strip against the plate.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES DEVOE \VATKINS.

lVitnesses ADDISON T. VORSHAU, GORDON I. HARDDMAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Iatents,

Washington, D. 0. 

